


Engagement Party

by creativeserialkiller



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alcohol, M/M, awkward moments, minor Danny/Dash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-23 04:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13779282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creativeserialkiller/pseuds/creativeserialkiller
Summary: Danny is in an abusive relationship with Dash, and on the night of their engagement party ends up hooking up with Vlad. AU, Vlad is mayor and the Fenton's family friend, neither have ghost powers.





	Engagement Party

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's weird, don't judge me ok

Inside, his friends were dancing. Smiling, laughing, drinking and having a good time. The bar was lit up with red lights and busy and the dance floor was full of people he knew and people he didn't know, moving to the beat. It was bright, lively and the atmosphere was that of a good party.

Outside, Danny stood, tense and small, in the dimly-alleyway between the bar and the restaurant next to it. Dash stood over him, looming and with his hands balled into fists. The sky was clear, twinkling with stars, the air was cool for a summer night, but Danny felt like he was burning beneath Dash's angry glare.

"You ignore me all night and then I find you dancing with some bitch?" Dash's tone was sharp, and loud. Danny checked the alley to make sure they were alone.

"Don't call her a bitch. Sam's my friend- and she has a girlfriend!" Danny was tipsy, and feeling bold. A flash of anger had shot through him at the word. 'Bitch'. Sam was *not* a bitch. "And I'm not ignoring you, it's a party, I'm talking to my friends."

"Yeah, *our* party, our *engagement party* and you're all over some girl!"

"Can we not do this tonight? Everyone's inside-"

"Just tell me why the fuck you were dancing with that whore!"

Another flash of anger and when Danny spoke again, he was surprised by the volume of his own voice. "Don't call her that!" But before he could say more, Dash had him by the bicep over his sleeve, nearly lifting him off the ground when he jerked him forward. "Dash," Danny gasped, his other hand on the blonde boy's wrist, trying to ease his grip.

"You're a piece of shit, ditching your fiancé to dance with a-"

"I'm sorry." Danny cut him off, speaking quickly, trying to pacify the situation before it got out of hand. He felt completely sober, all of a sudden, maybe from the painful grip on his arm. "I'm sorry, I was just excited to see her, we're just friends and she has a girlfriend. Can we please go back inside? I'm sorry," His tone was soft, and small. Dash looked at him for a minute before dropping his arm.

"I don't want to see you talking to her again."

"Dash, we're friends, what am I supposed to do if she comes up to me?"

"So you're choosing her over me?" Dash demanded, shoving Danny back with both hands on his chest. The scrawny boy stumbled back, nearly into the wall behind him before catching his balance.

"What's going on here?" A new voice, vaguely familiar, came from the street-end of the alleyway, but when they turned it was too dark to see who it was. All Danny could make out was a tall figure, with a cigarette's red tip glowing in one hand.

"Who the hell are you?" Dash snapped, turning, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Mind your own business."

"I'm the mayor," The man came closer, into the light, and sure enough it was Amity's mayor, Vlad Masters. "So I'd say violence in my city *is* my business." He was about a foot taller than Dash. Not as muscular, or at least not that could be seen through his suit, but somehow still seemed threatening.

Danny turned his face away as his eyes and nose began to prickle with hot, humiliating tears of embarrassment. It wasn't often that Dash lost his cool in public, but every time Danny had managed to calm him down before anyone else got involved. Until now, and he felt ashamed that someone felt the need to step in. It wasn't that bad, he was handling it, and now *Vlad freaking Masters* was there. How much had he seen? Was he going to tell Danny's parents?

Dash stared at him for a minute. More like, stared him *down*, for a minute. Finally, he dropped his arms to his sides. "Get out of here. Danny, come on."

Danny felt frozen on the spot, having turned to find both Dash and Vlad staring at him, waiting on him. Waiting to see what he would do, what he would say. His arm ached where Dash had grabbed him, and he thoughtlessly raised his hand to sooth it before thinking better of it and shoving his hands in his pockets.

He lowered his eyes to the concrete ground. "I'm going back to the dorm." He said, quietly, barely audible over the muffled music coming from the door. He waited, tense, for Dash's reaction.

"You're gonna ditch me at our fucking engagement party?"

"Okay, fine," Danny felt defeated. It was a feeling that seemed to come more and more often. "Let's go back inside. They'll wonder where we are."

"No, *you* go back inside. Tell them how you ignored me all night until I left." And with that, Dash turned on his heel to leave. Danny caught him by the arm, opening his mouth to plead with him to stay but was shoved roughly back. "No, fuck you! You wanna be with everyone but me, now you can be!"

Dash twisted the ring from his finger and dropped it on the ground. It bounced, and rolled over the concrete to Danny's sneaker. Then, he left, shoving by Vlad on the way to the street. The remaining two stood in a tense, awkward silence. The only sound came from inside, and from Dash's car as the door slammed, the car cranked. Then the motor faded away down the road, and they were left in silence.

This night was a disaster. Sam had seen Dash drag him outside, Vlad had witnessed the confrontation and now Dash was gone and Danny would have to explain why he'd left. He was tired.

"You look like you could use a drink." Vlad said, suddenly, drawing Danny's attention. It took him a moment to realize it was an offer, and after another moment's deliberation, he had decided. He was a broke college kid, and he *did* need a drink, so if they were free he’d be drinking them.

"Yeah, I do." He knelt down, picking up the ring. He shoved it in his pocket, avoiding Vlad’s gaze.

They went inside, to the bar.

Danny downed a shot, and Vlad took a swallow of whiskey on the rocks. Neither of the men seemed to know what to say, and instead just sat there in a mutual, awkward silence. Danny didn't know whether to thank him for stepping in, or to apologize for the trouble he'd caused. He was about to do both when Jazz came up, throwing her arms around him from behind and nearly making him jump out of his seat.

"Hey, little brother!" She was a drunk, slurring mess. "Are you happy?"

He twisted from her arms, spinning around on his stool. "Yeah, Jazz, I'm happy." He feigned a smile.

"Where's Dash?" She asked, looking around the bar. Her eyes met Vlad's, and she paused, squinting at him. 

Then, recognition sparked on her face and she smiled. "Hey! Haven't seen you around in a while."

"It's a pleasure to see you, Jasmine." He sounded polite as ever, but his eyes danced with amusement at Jazz's state. "Are you doing well?"

"I'm great! We should get together with my parents for dinner sometime. And Danny. Catch up."

"That sounds lovely. I'll call them this week and we can arrange it."

While they chatted a bit, Danny ordered another shot and listened. Jazz spoke about her job as a therapist, mostly, at Vlad's inquisition. After a while, he tuned them out, fiddling with the ring in his pocket.

Dash's ring. The argument was nothing new. He had, many times, made Dash angry by being too close to or spending too much time with someone else. This wasn't even the worst fight they'd had that month, but somehow, it had ended up like this. Dash had left. Had taken off his ring- the meaning behind that action was clear. The engagement was off. Dash was gone. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach. A knot of dread at the idea of being alone and of regret at escalating things the way he had. And tonight, he would go back to the dorm alone, instead of to Dash's apartment the way he usually did on weekends. He would sleep alone. He wouldn't wake up to a "Good Morning" text, he wouldn't make coffee for the two of them and he wouldn't spend the day with his fiancé.

He could feel himself edge closer to tears, and just when he thought he might lose it, Vlad pulled him from his thoughts.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped tonight."

Jazz was nowhere to be seen, having slipped away while Danny was distracted by his misery.

He ran his fingers through his hair. "No, you... Thanks. And thanks for the drinks. And sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for." And then, after a pause, he added, "You didn't tell your sister." It was a question. An unasked *"Why?"*

"Why ruin the night? They're enjoying themselves. I'll tell them later." He'd probably ask Jazz to go with him when he got his stuff back from Dash's place. Or maybe he'd ask Tucker, instead. Neither of them were particularly tough, but he needed the moral support and he knew they'd know better than to piss Dash off, if he warned them. Sam was too hot-headed.

"What about your night?"

"What about it?"

"Are you alright?"

Danny thought about it. Was he? It didn't take long to come to an answer; no, he wasn't. He didn't want to go back to the dorm. He didn't want to be alone. He didn't want to face this just yet. He looked at Vlad, studying his face. "You're gay, right?" He had always suspected. Mostly by how well he took care of himself, and how he carried himself… and how he’d never brought a woman around to meet Danny’s parents.

"You could say that. Why?" He took the change of topic in stride. Didn't so much as raise an eyebrow.

"If this is out of line, blame it on the shots. Do you wanna get out of here?"

That, on the other hand, raised both.

"That's rather sudden."

"Is that a no?"

"It's not a no."

"Then let's go." Danny hopped off the barstool.

"Are you sure about that?"

"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't." And really, he hasn't had *that* much to drink, and even if he had, it just made it easier to ask. He had never been particularly into men double his age, or into his parent's friends, but tonight anyone would work. He felt a pang of guilt at that, at the knowledge that he was essentially using someone to avoid being alone, but Vlad seemed smart. He probably knew what Danny was doing, or at least the gist of it.

Wordlessly, Vlad pulled out his billfold and dropped a few dollars on the bar. Then, the two of them left out the side door and walked down the road to Vlad's car.

The drive to Vlad's large, mansion-esque house was a short one, but an awkward one. Again, neither seemed to know what to say, sitting together in the back in silence while the driver took them home. Danny was growing more and more nervous the closer they got. He had ditched his party to fuck his parent's college friend. What was his life turning into? What had it been this whole time? He picked at his nails, watching out the window as the scenery changed from buildings to trees.

Finally, they arrived, the car pulling to a stop at the end of a long driveway. They, again, silently, got out of the car and headed for the door.

Danny had never seen the inside of the mayor's house before, and now that he had he felt out of place. The decor was fancy, elegant-looking and intricate. In jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt, he felt like he wasn't dressed formally enough. Unlike the older man, who was typically only seen in suits and seemed to fit right in. He had expensive tastes, Danny realized as they walked along a hallway. Everything down to the paintings on the walls looked expensive and high quality. Danny's family had never been poor by any means, but this was on a whole different level.

Then they were in a bedroom, Vlad's bedroom, standing by the bed with the door shut and looking at one another. Vlad was watching him, patiently, waiting. Like he was waiting to see if Danny changed his mind. Tired of the awkwardness, tired of the weird silence between them, Danny pulled his shirt up over his head and let it fall to the floor. "What are you waiting for?" He reached out, taking hold of Vlad's jacket to pull him closer.

Danny lost himself in sex, the way that he always did. He pushed the events of the night out of his mind and focused on feeling, instead. Feeling, touching, finding a rhythm that worked for both of them and moving to it. He lost himself in the pleasure and sweat and everything else disappeared, until they were finished, lying next to each other. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Vlad turned on his side and rest a hand on Danny's chest- lightly, hesitantly, like he wasn't sure he should.

"I'd ask if you enjoyed yourself, but I know that you did." He smirked, and Danny laughed a little breathlessly.

"Did you?"

"You're a very passionate lover."

The word made him blush, and he laughed again, turning his face away. How silly, he thought. 'Lover' made him blush, but they had just fucked and it had been fine.

"Are you staying the night?" Vlad asked, and Danny looked at him.

"Are you sure you don't want me to leave?" He wasn't sure what the etiquette for something like this was. He had never 'hooked up' with someone, had never had one night stands, if that's what this was. Danny had only ever slept with someone he'd been dating for a while, up until now, and that list was a short one. He felt embarrassed at the look on Vlad's face, like that had been the wrong thing to ask and he was foolish for doing so.

"I wouldn't have asked, if I wanted you to go."

Well, it hadn't been obvious. The sex was great, but colder than he was used to. No, not colder, but more impersonal. They hadn't kissed, even in the heat of the moment when he was sure they might, Vlad had just turned his face away. And now, it seemed that Vlad was hesitant to touch him and it made Danny nervous.

"Then yeah," He decided quickly. "I'd like to sleep here." A tension left him that he hadn't even realized had come, when he answered Vlad's question. He wouldn't be alone that night. He could put off thinking about what had happened at the bar for another night.

"I'm going to shower down the hall. You can use the bathroom in here, if you'd like. The towels are in the closet. I'm sure you can find your way around from there."

And later, clean, they lay side-by-side in bed without touching one another. In the dark, Danny stared up at the canopy above the bed, trying to push away the regret and embarrassment that threatened to take him over.

This wasn't like him. He had fucked someone that he barely knew, but that knew his parents well. They were friends. What if they found out? Somehow he doubted that Vlad would tell them, but that would be an awkward conversation to have. How could he look at them normally after this? And he'd done it so soon after Dash had broken off their engagement. Not even a whole hour later had he suggested it. He felt like he had betrayed Dash, like he had cheated. But he hadn't, right? Dash had left him pretty clearly.

In the bathroom earlier, there had been a bruise forming on his arm from where his ex-fiance had grabbed him. That, he knew, should have been enough to keep him from feeling guilty- but it wasn't. And it wasn't the first bruise that he'd keep hidden away underneath sleeves and jackets, either.

Eventually, Danny fell asleep.

...

It took him a few seconds, when he opened his eyes, to remember where he was. He sat up, running his fingers through his hair as memories of the night and evening before came back to him all at once. He dropped his feet to the floor and found his jeans, squinting from the light that came from a crack in Vlad's curtains. He pulled his phone out of the pocket.

The battery was low, but it wasn't dead. Seeing the many texts and couple of missed calls, he almost wished it was. As quickly as possible, he went through and messaged everyone back, responding to their "Where did you go?"s with "Wasn't feeling well, I went home"s. Sam had sent him multiple texts, asking where he was and asking if Dash was mad. He told her not to worry, and then laid his phone on the nightstand. He pulled on his jeans and was looking for his shirt when Vlad began to stir.

"Good morning," He said, when icy blue eyes met his own. Vlad didn't reply, just sat up, tense, on the edge of the bed. Danny found his shirt, pulled it on, and sat back on the bed. He didn't know where anything in Vlad's house was, or what he was welcome to; though he could use some coffee.

Finally, Vlad stood up and went to the wardrobe. Danny half-watched, half-avoided-watching him get dressed. He was fit and lean. He was overall an attractive man, with high cheekbones and striking features. Especially his eyes. Danny hadn't really noticed before, but even groggy and tired he carried himself with a grace and elegance. Like he was important, and he knew he was important.

When Vlad left the room and still hadn't said a word, Danny tagged along behind, growing nervous. Why hadn't he said anything? Had Danny woken him? Was he annoyed? He followed Vlad down to the kitchen, where the older man began setting up a coffee maker.

The kitchen was mostly white, with sleek, silver-and-black appliances. Everything was clean and shiny, unlike the kitchen at his parent's place where everything had fingerprints here and spilled coffee there. He figured Vlad had cleaning staff, the way he had a driver.

The coffee maker worked fast, and soon enough Vlad had poured them both a mug and gotten a container of sugar from a cabinet, and a small bottle of liquid creamer from the fridge. Even after they both had fixed their cups, and gone to a small table that sat in front of a window before the dining room, he hadn't said a word.

The nervousness grew. Danny stared at his coffee, mind blank for anything to say to break the silence. There had been a newspaper rolled up on the table when they'd sat down, and Vlad picked it up. The longer they sat there, Vlad reading the paper and Danny staring at his coffee, the more sure he was that he had done something wrong. Maybe he *had* woken him up. He wasn't being especially noisy, but maybe Vlad was a light sleeper. Maybe he had overstayed his welcome. The man had insisted that it was okay for Danny to stay, but now he seemed angry- even his expression, when Danny glanced over, seemed irritated. His brows were drawn together in a scowl as he looked over the paper.

What Danny meant to say, was "Should I go?" or "Is something wrong?" but instead, what he said was, "I'm sorry." in a quiet voice that barely disturbed the silence. Vlad's paper crinkled as he lowered it, looking at Danny for a moment.

Then, he said, "What are you apologizing for?"

Danny scowled. "I don't know- aren't you mad?"

"No?"

"Oh." Now, he felt foolish. He lowered his eyes to his coffee again. "Sorry."

"Daniel," Vlad breathed a laugh, though his tone wasn't one of amusement. "Why do you think I'm angry?"

"You haven't said anything to me since you got up. I thought maybe you were mad that I woke you up or something."

"Cliche as it sounds, I'm hardly a person before I have coffee in the morning." He set the paper aside completely, and when Danny met his eyes, they were soft. Kind. Understanding.

He still felt foolish for assuming Vlad was angry. It seemed like the obvious conclusion. "Okay," was all he said, then sipped at his coffee as a distraction. It had cooled from hot to warm already, and Danny hadn't even touched it. He was too wrapped up in anxiety over a silence. A *silence*. Vlad must think he’s ridiculous.

"I'd offer to let you stay for the afternoon, but I have a meeting later."

"Oh, okay." He stood up and tipped his coffee back to his lips, taking a final drink before going to pour it down the sink. When he came back, Vlad was waiting for him at the table, and walked him to the front door.

Vlad reached for the door handle, but he didn't pull it open. He stood there for a moment, looking down at Danny, and Danny up at him. Like neither of them knew what to say, but felt that something should be said.

Finally, Danny spoke. "Jazz was right, we should get together sometime."

And Vlad smiled politely, pulling the door open. "I'll call your parents early this week and arrange something."

"See you around, Vlad." And Danny left.

**Author's Note:**

> I might make a series out of this if anyone likes it


End file.
